“[A] ruthlessly funny and keenly self-aware sendup of right-wing militarism. The fact that it was and continues to be taken at face value speaks to the very vapidity the movie skewers.” — Calum Marsh, The Atlantic

With this incredibly constructed 1997 sci-fi saga, mad Dutch auteur Paul Verhoeven wraps up his gonzo dystopian triptych that began with Robocop and carried through into Total Recall. In many ways, Starship Troopers is the most devastatingly satirical of the three, using Robert Heinlein’s straightforward ‘50s novel as a jumping off point to gleefully skewer our conflict-minded, gung-ho culture. Clearly cast for their TV-idol good looks, stars Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards and Neil Patrick Harris anchor this wild ride, allowing the brilliant, soap opera/space-opera script by Ed (Robocop) Neumeier to be more biting than just a balls-out bug-battle. At first, shortsighted ‘90s audiences didn’t understand that the film was a send-up at the time, but thankfully true cinema lovers have come around to appreciating this gory gross-out of a cult classic for all its rich, outlandish rewards. Ed Neumeier & Phil Tippett in person!
Dir. Paul Verhoeven, 1997, 35mm, 129 min.